254 On a new Calculation of the 



BARCELONA. 



stars observed L Ursae Minoris, pass. sup. et inf. 208 obs. 41 22 47,43 



north of the h Ursae Minoris, pass. sup. et inf. 228 do. 48,37 



zenith. K Ursse Majoris, pass. sup. 80 do. 46,73 



ICapella . . . . 106 do. 44,51 



Thefour stars . . . 722 obs. 4122 46,19 



South of the zenith. Pollux . . . 104 do. 41 22 41,95 



Latitude observed at Barcelona . , , 41 22 44,07 

 Reduction to Montjouy ... — 59,33 



Latitude of Montjouy deduced from the observa-") ., «, .. ^. 



tions at Barcelona . . . . j ^^ ^^ '^'^'^^ 



Latitude of Montjouy observed . . 41 21 44,53 



Difference 0,21 



Mean 41 21 44,635 



Reduction to the centre of the Tower of Montj ouy — 0,100 



Latitude of Montjouy .... 41 21 44,535 



Latitude adopted in the Base duSyste me Metrique 41 21 44,960 



Correction of the latitude of the extreme station 

 ofthe Arc of the Meridian .... 0,425 



The final latitude deduced for the southern extremity of the 

 arc ofthe meridian between the parallels of Dunkirk and Mont- 

 jouy is 45° 2V 44",535 ; being less by 0",42 than that adopted by 

 the commission of weights and measures. But the great mass 

 of observations combined in this determination, and the verifi- 

 cation of the calculations which I have now made, appear to 

 me to entitle it to great confidence. It is founded on 134 series, 

 comprising 1722 observations, whilst the former rested on 44 

 series, comprising only 756 observations. 



One reflection naturally suggests itself from this Memoir ; 

 the anomalies which have caused so much trouble and uneasi- 

 ness can no longer be attributed to faults in the observer, or to 

 the effects of local attraction ; they were caused solely, as we 

 have seen, by the imperfect state of our knowledge; an imper- 

 fection of which we are now ourselves aware. In perusing the 

 notice of M. Mechain's life, and the fragments of his corre- 

 spondence, published by M. Delambre, his friend and bio- 

 grapher, it is impossible to avoid a lively sensation of regret^ 

 in witnessing the deplorable influence that a matter, which now 

 appears to us so trivial, exercised on the whole course of his 



